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Westmont's Eric Davis keeps busy prepping for USF football season

Working and workouts fill defensive lineman's days as he and Saints start season

By JASON ROSSI -
jrossi@shawmedia.com

Aug. 7, 2013

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Eric Davis (left) has spent the summer working out and training in preparation for the upcoming season with the University of St. Francis football team.
Photo provided by University of St. Francis Athletics.

REBECCA WHARRIE

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Eric Davis

JOLIET – Eric Davis knows how to pack a schedule.

While some college students look forward to a summer break, there has been little down time for Davis this summer.

“I work from 6 to 2:30, and when I get home, I shower and take a little nap, then I work out from 5 to 6:30 or 7,” the Westmont High School graduate said. “That’s mainly what I’ve been doing this summer.”

That’s just Davis’ solo itinerary. In addition to his routine, he has joined his University of St. Francis football teammates to run stairs at Joliet Memorial Stadium twice a week, he said.

Davis has also worked on his agility and quickness in preparation for the upcoming football season. The Saints’ camp starts today and Davis is ready to prove that all his offseason work served a purpose.

“I feel like I wasn’t able to show what I can do last season,” said Davis, who missed two games due to injury. “I played a lot last year, but I feel I have a lot to prove at camp this year and that’s what I want to do.”

Hard work in the offseason should help Davis show what he’s got. The fact that he knows what position he’ll be playing should help, too.

Since his junior year of high school he’s played at several positions on both sides of the ball. He said he was a defensive end for the Sentinels as a junior and a wide receiver, linebacker and safety as a senior. He’s been on the move during his time at USF, too, but is finally entrenched on the defensive line.

“I’ve switched positions here three times,” Davis said. “They recruited me as a defensive end, but my freshman year they switched me to tight end. The following spring I switched to fullback and then in the middle of that spring I switched to defense. It’s been tough. I kind of miss getting the ball in my hands, but you can never turn down the opportunity to hit someone on every play.”

Now a junior, Davis has been part of some highs and lows with the Saints. During his 2010 redshirt year in which he didn’t play, the team went 7-4. The Saints followed that up with a 10-3 season before going 6-5 last fall.

Davis has high hopes for himself and his team this season.

“I finished with 20 tackles last year and this year I want to get 40 or 50 tackles and prove to the coaches that I need to be on the field,” Davis said. “As far as a team, last year was a little down but this year I think we’re going to be good. We have a lot of athletes on both sides of the ball. We want to contend for the playoffs and a conference championship, too.”

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